Tachygraphy and type-writing machine



(No Model.) 2 sheets-sheet 1. v

G. K. ANDERSON.

TAGIIYGRAPHY AND TYPE WRITING MACHINE.

No. 440,341. Patented Nov. 11,1890.

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(No Model.) 2 sheets-sheet 2.

Gr. K. ANDERSON.

TAGHYGRAPHY AND TYPE WRITING MACHINE. No. 440,341 Patented Nov. 11,1890.

NrrED STATES GEORGE KERR ANDERSON,

ATENT OF MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE.

TACHYGRAPHY AND TYPE-WRITING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 440,341, dated November11, 1890. I

Application filed April 20, 1889. Serial No. 307,928. (No model.)

To all whom it .may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE KERR ANDER- SON, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Memphis, in the coun ty of Shelby and State ofTennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inTachygraphy and Type-Vriting Machines, of which the following is aspecification. My invention relates to an improved method of writingtachygraphically and to tachygraphic type-writing machines, and hasreference more particularly to that class in which the printingcharacters print in a straight line across the sheet of paper.

'Ihe present invention is designed as an improvement upon that for whichI received Letters Patent of the United States, dated September IO,1889, No. 410,628.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a top plan view of my improved machine with the roll of paper removed; Fig. 2, a side elevationof the same with part of the ribbon-supporting mechanism indicated indotted lines; Fig. 3, a perspective view of the bed or base plate andthe key-board; Fig. 4, a horizontal sectional View on the line 0c x;Fig. 5, a perspective view looking from the under side of the movablebed or plate to which the printing characters are secured; Fig. 6, asectional view illustrating the manner in which the keybars are securedto the base-plate; Fig. 7, a view illustrating the construction andarrangement of the ribbon-supporting mechanism; Fig. S, a sectional viewillustrating the very frequent occurrence.

construction of the paper-feed mechanism, and Fig. 9 a sectional view ofone of the iinger-buttons.

The obj ect of my improvements is to reduce the number of keys on thekey-board sufficiently to enable them all to be operated si multaneously by the two hands without. shifting the fingers from one keyto another.

In the use of my improved machine I employ three groups of charactersfor the type and keys--one to represent the general phonetic consonantalphabet, one to represent the general phonetic vowel alphabet, and athird to represent a few terminal consonants of The consonants of thefirst group are combined to form other consonants and combinations ofconsonants and the vowels of the second group to form other vowels andcombinations of vowels, and in selecting the letters which compose thesegroups great care has been taken to select those of the most frequentoccurrence, so that in actual work they will outnumber thecombination-letters greatly. In forming the first consonant group I haveendeavored to employ as few characters as possible by which a completeconsonant alphabet could be formed, and in forming the vowel group Ihave also endeavored to employ as few characters as possible with whicha vowel alphabet could be formed. In forming the group of terminalconsonants I have not sought to represent every terminal consonant, butonly a few of the most frequent occurrence. The new features so fardisclosed, then, consists in the selection of frequently-occurringletters to form each group and in the use to form these groups of a verysmall number of characters with which they can be formed.

In order to further reduce the number of characters and strokes of themachine necessary in writing and make the system more complete, I use anarbitrary character, sometimes to show that all the letters in a lineare read backward or sometimes to show that the vowel in the line is tobe read after certain characters-as, for example, L or after R- insteadof before said characters, printed. By this means I am enabled to printat one stroke many words which would otherwise require two, such asfriend, bliud, time, &c.

From practical experience I have found that the fourteencharacters--viZ., S T H K P A U E L R N T S-are peculiarly applicablefor the practical operation of my improved method, and in this case themachine for printing or writing the same need have only fourteen typeand keys-one for each character as in my improved machine, and

all of these keys are adapted to be struck simultaneously by the twohands.

The first fiveletters of the above systemviz., S T I-I K P-I use singlyand in certain combinations to represent an entire phonetic consonantalphabet, the table below giving IOO the different characters and theirconsonant representations:

T H K represents b H K represents w S T H represents ch r S H Krepresents sw K P represents d S T H K represents wh H P represents f ST K P represents y T P represents g S T K represents z S K-P representsj S H K P represents ing T K represents l S represents s 'I H K Prepresents m T represents t S T H K P represents sm H represents l1 S TH P represents mp K represents k H K P represents n P represents p S H Prepresents q S T represents st T K P represents r S H represents sh S TP represents tw-dw S K represents sk T H P represents v S P representssp T H represents th The three vowels A, U, and E, taken singly andincombinations, are used to represent the vowels and dipthongs of thealphabet, as indicated in the following table:

A represents A U represents U E represents E U E represents I A U Erepresents O A U represents AU OU OI A E represents AE and initial A, E,or O.

The letters L R N T S, which are terminal consonants that are likely tooccur very frequently in writing, have norepresentation beyond what theythemselves are, except that T is sometimes used to represent D and Ssometimes represents soft O. By this system I can print a vowel betweenan initial consonant and any terminal consonant in the last group; butthere are many words in which one of the letters R and L comes betweenthe initial consonant and the vowelsuch as friend, blind,&c.-and asthere is not room on the key-board for but one more key this additionalkey (which prints preferably a dot) is employed to indicate that thevowel is read after R or L instead of before these letters as printed.

Whenever it is desired to print the letter S the finger-key bearing therepresentation of said letter will be struck, and the same is true ofthe letters T, H, K, and P, which, when printed alone, retain theirordinary significance. If, however,it is desired to represent B, it willbe necessary to strike the keys T H K, and in like manner the letters D,F, and G are represented, respectively, by the characters K P, H P, andT P. This manner of representing the characters whichare not otherwiserepresented is what I term combining, and of course the operator must.learn the combinations in the table above given; but as soon as this isaccomplished practice only is required in order to enable the operatorto print phonographically from dictation.

Only one word or part of a word will be printed on each line, and assoon as an impression is made, though it be but a dot, the paper will befed forward a distance equal to a line. The characters printed are plainRoman characters, which are easily read and cannot be confounded orconfused with one another, and are so selected that in actual work theyoutnumber combination letters or characters in the proportion of five toone.

Referring now to the drawings, I will describe a machine which I havesuccessfully operated on the foregoing principles.

A indicates a base-board, which may be made of wood or metal and of anydesired shape, and B indicates a metallicblock, which is secured uponthe base-board by screws O passing up through the latter. The block isprovided with an upwardly-projecting rim or flange a, said iiange andblock being provided with radial slots b, in which the key bars orlevers D are mounted, the said block being also provided on its underside with feet c c, as 'shown in Figs. 2 and Formed upon the block orplate B are upright lugs or posts d d, which serve to support thepaper-feed mechanism, and shorter lugs or posts e e, to which the platenor plate carrying the printing characters is pivoted.

Block or plate B will, for the sake of lightness, be made open at oneend and is provided With inwardly-projecting lugs f f, fora purposepresently explained.

The key bars or levers D are narrow flatA pieces of metal perforated .ata point near their inner ends to receive a wire yoke or staple g, themain arm of which passes through the said key bars or levers and formsthe pivot or journal upon which the key bars or levers oscillate orswing.

As shown in Fig. 6, the arms of the yokes or staples g extend downwardthrough holes or perforations in the block or base B, and it will alsobe seen upon reference to said figure and to Figs. l and 3 that a singleyoke or staple may be arranged so as to form the pivot or journal fortwo or more key bars or levers. The lower ends of the yokes or staples gwill advisably be bent or clinched against the lower face of the block,so'as to prevent their becoming loose. By providing the block B with theslotted upright flange a the key bars or levers will be prevented frommoving sidewise or wabbling during their operation. It is obvious thatthis flange need not necessarily be at the edge of the block B, but maybe at most any other point on the block. This construction andarrangement of the levermounting devices render unnecessary deepslotting of the block and also enable the staples or yokes to be bentinto proper form and applied to the leversA or bars before the latterare placed in position. 4

The levers or bars D are flattened out at their inner ends, as shown inFig. 3, so as to permit the use of a bar thinner than the face of thetype, and therefore light, and are supported at said in ner end by aplate or crossbar h, provided on its upper face with a pad or cushiont'. The cross bar or support h is carried by screws 7' j, which screwinto the lugs ff of plate or block B, said screws being sur` roundedeach by a coiled spring k, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, so that byscrewing the screws into the lugs the springs will be compressed and thebar or support lowered.

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tensa a Engaging ai; its'. ends with theI feet c c or other part of tleblock or plate` B isla rod Z, which extends across' the machine beneaththe ends of the bars or levers D, as shown in Fig. 4. A coiled spring m(one for each key har or lever) is connected at one end with the rodZand at the other end with one of the key bars or levers, thereby holdingthe latter down upon their support and away from the printed characters.

At their outer ends the key bars or levers are provided with buttons n,which are made of a single piece of hard rubber or similar material, theshank of the button being slotted to receive the key bar or lever, towhich it is riveted, as indicated in Fig. 9. It is not necessary thatthe shank be slotted, as the butt-on may be riveted to the side of thekey bar or lever, as illustrated in Fig. 2. By making the shank long`and integral with the body of the button the liability ot' the button onone key-bar striking the adjacent bar is avoided, and the use of rivetsto connect the shank and body, which renders the button unsightly, isdispensed with.

E indicates the plate which carries the printing characters, the saidplate being provided with perforated ears o to receive pivotscrews p p,by which the plate is secured to the lugs e e.

The printing characters, as shown in Fig. 5, are arranged in a straightline directly above the [latten ed ends of the key-bars and willadvisably be formed on a single plate q, which is secured rigidly to theunder side of the pivoted plate E. The printing characters may be madeof rubber, steel, type-metal, or any other suitable material, and may besecured to the plate E in any manner desired, provided they are soarranged as tohave one character directly above each key bar or lever.By having the characters in a straight line it will be seen that anynumber of the characters may be printed simultaneously or any particularcharacter printed alone.

At the outer end the plate E is provided with an arm iu, which iscoveredwith rubber or felt, and which, resting upon the block B, limitsthe downward movement of the plate and prevents its printing charactersfrom resting upon the key-bars.

In order to hold the plate E down into proper position, I employ aspring F, which bears at one end upon the plate and at the other end isadj ustably secured to an arm G, which latter is in turn adjustablysecured to an upright post 1' of the block B. By loosening the screwsthearm G, with its spring, may be swung around laterally, so as to removethe spring from the plate and permit the latter to be swung backward tohave access to the printing characters for cleaning or other purposes,and it will also be seen that by tightening or loosening the nut t theltension or force of the spring may be increased or diminished, asdesired.

The arm G projects out over one side of i rotation of the shaft.

the plate E and-serves td lim't the upward movement of said plate whenstruck by the key bars or levers, a cushion u' being' secured 7o to theupper ,side of the plate to reduce the jar and noise.

The roll of paper is carried by an L-shaped arm or support H, secured tothe baseeblock B, the extreme outer end of the horizontal por- 7 5 tionof said arm being bent upward, as shown at t, to prevent the accidentaldisplacement of the roll, it being necessary to raise the roll up toslip it olf over the bent end c.

Pivoted to the outer end of the plate E is a pawl or dog` Qc, which isadapted to engage with a ratchet-wheel y, secured to the shaft z of thefeed-roll I, as shown in Fig. l, the pawl being held in engagement withthe ratchetwheel y by means of a coiled spring a', bearing at oppositeends against or connected with the pawl and the plate E.

The rubber feed-roll I is made consider ably larger than is usual andsecured upon a hollow shaft e', the shaft being threaded eX- ternally atone end to receive nuts Z9 b', by means of which the ratchet-wheel y issecured in position upon the shaft, as shown in Fig. 8.

Projecting into the ends of the hollow shaft z are pintles or journals cc', which have their bearing in the upright posts d d of block B, thejournals being secured to the shaft bymeans of set-screws d d', asshown, and provided at their outer ends with iiat rubber rollers e. e',as shown in Figs. l, 2, and 8.

J indicates a presser-roll,which is arranged parallel to the feed-rollerI, the said presserroll being secured rigidly upon a hollow shaft K,into the ends of which project L-shaped arms L, which projecthorizontally from the posts d d, as represented in Figs. l and 2.Springs M encircle the rods or arms L and bear at opposite ends againstthe posts d and a lug or shoulder on the arms, the said springs servingto hold or draw the presser-roller J against the feed-roller.

O indicates the inking-ribbon, which extends transversely across themachine between the printing characters and the key bars or levers, theribbon being carried at its ends by spools which turn upon shafts Q Q.The shafts are mounted loosely in the upper ends of arms or brackets R,secured to the base-plate A or to the block B, so that either one ofLthe shafts Q or Q can be moved longitudinally to bring its particularspool-disk P into engagement with one of the rollers e.

In order to hold the disk P in engagement with the roller c', thebrackets R are each provided with a dat arm N, which bears at itsupperend against the pointed ends of shafts Q Q', the arm holding thedisk against the roller with sufficient force to cause the latter torotate the disk, but not to interfere with the IOO IIO

13o The arm N is pivoted upon a pin or bolt S,

which is encircled by a coiled spring T, Fig.

7, designed to exert the necessary pressure upon the said arm, so thatwhen one arm is bearing upon its shaft the other arm may be swunglaterally upon its pivot out of engagement with its shaft.

U indicates a ribbon-guide, which is made of a single piece of wire bentback upon itself to form an elongated eye through which the ribbon ispassed, the length of the eye being regulated by means of a rubber blockV, slipped onto the guide and embracing the two arms thereof. The guidesare carried by the upright posts d (l, Figs. 2, 7, and 8, and areadjustable lengthwise in the posts, the stems of the guides receivingthe pressure of coiled springs W, seated in recesses in posts, asrepresented in Fig. 8. The springs are held in place by means of caps orplates X, secured to the under side of the block B.

The strip of paper is fed beneath the pivoted feed-plate E, passingbetween the ribbon and the key bars or levers, thence around the lowerface of roller I, and up between said roller and t-he roller J. In orderto prevent the unwinding of the paper from the roll from interferingwith the operator, an upright rod Y is secured to the block B, whichprevents the paper from falling onto the keys.

The operation is as follows: The operator presses down upon one or moreof'the buttons, and thereby throws the inner flattened end of the keylever or levers struck upward and causes the latter to carry the paperup against the inking-ribbon and the ribbon against the printingcharacters, thus making an impression on the paper. A further movementor depression of the button raises the inner end of the key-bar stillhigher and elevates the outer free end of the feed-plate E against thepressure of spring F, the pawl on the latter riding over the teeth ofthe ratchetwheel, against which it is urged by the pawlspring. Asthe-finger is removed from the button, the spring m returns the key baror lever to its normal position, and the feedingplate being unsupportedalso falls; but inasmuch as the plate has to actuate or turn the heavyroller I its descent will be slower than that of the key bars or levers,thereby giving the latter time enough to reach their seat before theplate reaches its seat and preventing a double impression, which wouldlikely occur were the feed-plate permitted to follow with the key-bars.From` this construction it will be seen that the feed-roll will be movedor rotated a certain and predetermined distance vat each reciprocationor oscillation of the feed-plate, so that after each impression (of oneor more characters) the paper will be fed forward the requisitedistance.

The holes in the key-bars are made larger than the staple or pivot-wirepassing through them, so that the wires may be bent before insertingthem in the bars, the larger hole permitting their corners to go throughit.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim isl. The hereinbefore-described method of phonetically recording syll-ables and words,consisting in the employment of three sets of characters, the firstconsisting of five consonants to be used singly and in combinations oftwo or more to represent all the consonants of a phonetic alphabet, thesecond consisting of a single group of three vowels to be used singlyand in combinations to represent all the vowels of the alphabet, and thethird group consisting of certain consonants of frequent occurrence asterminals to be used singly with their ordinary signification, all asset forth.

2. The hereinbefore-described apparatus for phonetically recordingsyllables and words, having a key-board with three sets of characters,the rst consisting of five consonants to be used singly andincombinations of two or more to represent all the consonants of aphonetic alphabet, the second consisting of a single group of the vowelsto be used singly and in combinations to represent all the vowels of thealphabet, and the third group consist-- ing of certain consonants offrequent occurrence as terminals to be used singly with their ordinarysignification, all as set forth.

In witness whereof I hereunto set my hand in the presence of twowitnesses.

GEORGE KERR ANDERSON.

Witnesses:

EM. AVERY, L. E. WRIGHT.

